audacity
47
6.0
- noun
- /ɔːˈdæsɪti/
:
audacia
- The artist had the audacity to break all the traditional rules and create something unique.
- sheer audacity
- audacity of hope
And then I had the audacity to think that I was worth listening to.
- And then I had the audacity to think that I was worth listening to.
- And she says to me, well, I finally had the audacity to change my job.
- And she has the audacity to say they don't need you to watch the game.
- And then she had the audacity to call and ask me to help them move in.
- But the humility combined with the audacity was helpful.
- Wow, the audacity of this company to actually sell people these items.
- So how do you have the audacity to start from zero and continue to succeed and to grow?
- Although I do just have to express my astonishment at the pure audacity of some people telling me that it looked bad when I'd cut it.
Examples
-
Wow, the audacity of this company to actually sell people these items.
-
And I had the audacity... to believe her.
-
So you have the audacity to want to live life on your terms.
-
And she says to me, well, I finally had the audacity to change my job.
-
And then she had the audacity to call and ask me to help them move in.
-
Do you know the colonel even had the audacity to suggest we do the same thing?
Fiction book (1998) -
And a woman who had the audacity to fire those same men.
Fiction book (2001) -
I mean, the sheer audacity of it took my breath away.
-
The ladies were struck dumb by the sheer audacity of it.
-
We have achieved our position through poise, precision and audacity.
Synonyms
21
9.5
A bold, shameless confidence that can shock or impress people
9
9.9
Bold confidence that ignores danger
1
4.4
Willingness to take risks and try new things
1
3.8
Being brave and willing to take risks
Bold, fearless action that can seem rude
Bold, dangerous actions done without care for safety
Antonyms
How Bold
Surface Forms
Morphology
audacity = audacious (opaque) = audac + ity
The relation between 'audacious' and 'audacity' is visible (adjective → noun via -ity), but the root form 'audac-' is not a familiar productive English base, so learners may not readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Audacity comes from an old Latin word audere, which means 'to dare'. Think of it like the simple English word 'dare' — someone with audacity dares to take bold risks or to shock others, so the origin shows why the word means a willingness to act boldly, even against the rules.